Reenforced shank



w. E. SMALL REENFORCED SHANK Filed Sept. 22. 1925 MZZS/l.

bility for the said stifi:ener member 12 to creep or beco1ne dislodged in any Way whatsoever.

My reenforeed shankformsa new and 1111- proved method of applying strength so that the original lines of any design last may be built into a shoe, and yet retain the exact fines to the completion of the shoe; seeondly, with the stifiener se applied it gives the shank that elasticitynecessary in the shoe, partieularly for women. Again, with my rcenforced shank applied to a shoe, it acts as an arch support to the foot.

After the stiffener member 12 has been applied to the shank, the amis on wings 15 and 16 are turnedover and the same are pressed to the thickness of the material of the shank as shown at 17, thereby imbed ding the upper and lower anus of the stiiener member in the body of the leather shank, as shown at 18 and 19. It is at this time the body portion of the shank, and its reenforced member 12, receive their par ticnlar cnrve 20 to eonform to the partienlar last. The leather shank and its stiftener member, when properly pressed, as above noted, are only the thickness of the leather shank at its thiekest part, and the process of imbedding the upper and lower arms or wings of the stiflener in the leathe1 of the shank prevents the latter from any tendeney to spread.

It Wili be noted my improved stifi'ener is applied to the shank and held in proper relation thereto withont the use of any othor agency, it remaining in its proper position with respect to the shank. and at the same time holding its longitudinal curve t0 coi respond to that of the lines of the last.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modification wherein is illustrated the stifener detached and turned upside clown for the pnrpose of bringing out more elearly the construction and arrangement of its under side. Instead ofthe amas as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and4, in this style it is preferred to provide the central web 14 with spaced projections 21 and 22, cach extending in opposite directions to each other from the hottom of the Web 14. It may he found advantageons to tinn these projections or fingers 21 and 22 after the stifi'- encr has been applied in the slot 11, or they may be tnrned over at the time the pressure is applied to p1ess said stifl'ener to the thickness of the body portion of the shank.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 6 is similar to that described in Fig. 5. In this modification the stiflener is formed of tnbing eompressed to form the reenforcing member and web, and the Web 14 is provided with retaining arms which are out from the web itself. Vhen the stifiener is applicd in the slot 11, the retaining arms 27 are turned ontwardly and pressed into the material of the shank, which Will holdthe stifiener secnre as in the other designs. These retaining members 27 may be opposite each other or staggered, and may be opened partially before being inserted, so that when applied to the shank, the retainers may be sp1ead ont preparatorv to being pressed. The npper and lower faces et the reenforcing member aiter being pressed are parallel to eaeh other.

As has been noted, ladies shoes have reenforced shanks or half soles which usually extend from the ball of the foot to the breast of the heeL This is the case inall welt shoes, butwhen the shoe is to be a turned shoe, then it is usual to use a leather reenforced sl1ank from the bail et thefo0t to the heel. In welt shoes a whole insole is provided, and the reenforced member 12 is applied in the same way as has beenexplined, so as to get the same results.- 4 v In accordance With the provisions of the patent stattes I have herein desCribed the principal form of my invention which I now consider t0 represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desireto have it understood that the varions forms of stifleners are only iilustrative and that the invention canbe carried out in other ways than those shown and described, but all are intended to come Within the scope of the claims. A1so, while the design of the stifieners areshown in various forms, they may be changed oraltered tomeet the partieular requirement without interfering in any way with the general resalts which the locking or fastening means was designed to accompiih. Vhat I elaim as new is:

1. The combination of a shank having a slot therein, and a metallic reenforcingmember fitt1ng w1thin sa1d slot and having on each side outspread1ng arms eitendmg over the top and bottom of the shank, and lying flush with the upper and lower surfaces of the shank.

2. Means for stifening and retaining the shape of shoe shanks, comprising a bodv adapted to be disposed through the materiiil i ofthe shank, and provided with retaining members on its edges adjacent the upper and lower surfaces et the shank, said retaining 1nembers being pressed into the material of the shank to lie flush -with said surfaces.--

An article et manufacture for use in reenforcing shoe shanks comprising an elongated strip of metal, portions of said strip to either side of and spaced from a line longitudinally bisecting the strip being bent -1nwardly toward each other to lie flush with the renmining portion of the strip, and then hent ontwardly with their opposed faces meeting to form a Web, and then each of said portions being bent outwmdly -fron1 each other substantially atright angles to the web to form retaining members.

4. The method of stiflening shoe shanks,

consisting in slitting the shahk betWeenthe 1 ends thereof and through the portion to be stifiened, inserting in the sliba sheet metal member of about the same length as the slit, bending the portions of the metal membe1' above and below the shank down upon the shalk to enga e the material of the shank above, below an about the slit, and then pressing said bent portions into the material of the shank to lie flush with the upper and lower surfaces .thereof, and in the same 10 operation pressing said shank and stifiener t0 conform to the final shape of the shank. In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

WILLIAM E. SMALL. 

